Used to: ESL lesson plans and exercises

Q: When do we use used to?

For past habits and states that have since changed. A habit: Biscuit used to chew Marco's hats . A state: Car roofs used to be higher . The sentence suggests things are different now, so it pairs well with a present-simple sentence about today: Now a lot of fans wear baseball caps .

Q: Is it use to or used to?

Used to in positive sentences, use to after did. I used to work in support , but I didn't use to code and Did you use to test by hand? Did is always followed by the base form, as in Did you go? , and here the base form is use . Both spellings sound the same, so the difference only shows in writing.

Q: Are there interactive used to exercises?

Yes, try the exercises above without signing up. They're samples from the lessons on this page, from used to at A2 to be used to and get used to at B2, and every lesson has more: gap-fills, drag-and-drop, tables to complete and quizzes. Students answer in their own edio.ai accounts, and the platform checks each answer automatically. A free trial opens the full used to lessons, and every other lesson in the library.

Q: When should students use the past simple instead of used to?

For one event, a date or a number of times. Last night, our team won the game , I moved to San Francisco in 2022 , I visited the museum twice . Used to is for what happened many times or was true for a long time: Men used to wear hats every day . That's why Last Sunday, our team used to win is wrong.

Q: How do I teach used to to A2 students?

Start from a change students can picture. English A2.2 does this in lessons 17 and 18: first the hats people wore to old ballgames against today's caps ( Men used to wear hats ), then jeans, first made as work clothes, for negatives and questions ( Did students use to wear jeans? ). Each lesson sets used to against today and has a grammar scheme, drills and a speaking chapter.

Q: What are good used to activities?

Then-and-now talk about real lives. Students compare childhood habits ( I used to walk to school; now I take the bus ), describe how their town or job has changed, or guess which classmate used to have an unusual hobby. For class talk, the lessons end with a chat and a speaking game like Open the box.

Q: Can I say I use to for habits now?

No: used to has no present form. For a habit today, use the present simple, often with usually : I usually write the tests first . A sentence like I use to work in support is a misspelling of the past form: I used to work in support .

Q: Can students do these lessons on their own, as homework?

Yes, with your review of the open tasks. The drills check every answer as students go, and any writing or speaking tasks come back to you. The same lessons also run live, one-to-one or with a group, with each student in sync with you in their own account.

Levels A2 to B2 6 lesson plans · 2 drill lessons Exercises that check themselves

Used to + verb is for past habits and states that are no longer true: Men used to wear hats to games, She used to be a chemistry teacher. Gathered here are 6 ready-made lessons on it from the edio.ai library, levels A2 to B2, running from then-and-now comparisons to be used to and get used to. All are interactive and in American English: play exercises from them, read the rules in their grammar schemes, and choose a lesson for your class from the list by level.

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Used to lesson plans and drills

6 lesson plans and 2 drill lessons, A2 to B2. Lesson plans are whole lessons with reading, listening and speaking; drill lessons are 45 to 46 self-checking exercises with no new words.

Try the used to exercises

One exercise from each of 6 lessons. These are the same exercises your students do in edio.

Used to explained

We use used to + base verb for a past habit or state that isn't true now: Fans used to dress up for games, It used to be a hat store. The form is the same for every person (He used to wear a suit to games). One past event takes the past simple instead, and a habit today the present simple.

Used to + verb: then, not now

A used to sentence describes a changed past, and the present simple says what's true today: The fedora used to be very popular. Now the baseball cap is popular. The verb after used to is always the base form: used to wear, not used to wore.

Then: used to + verb	Now: present simple
Men used to wear hats to games.	Now a lot of fans wear baseball caps.
Fans used to dress up for games.	Now fans wear casual clothes.
The fedora used to be very popular.	Now the baseball cap is popular.

From the lesson Why did everyone use to wear a hat? (English A2.2)

Usually for now, used to for then

Used to has no present form. For a habit today, learners need the present simple, often with usually: These days, fans usually wear caps, against In the 1920s, men used to wear hats.

Now: usually + present simple

These days, fans usually wear caps.
I usually wear sneakers.

Then: used to + verb

In the 1920s, men used to wear hats.
As a kid, I used to wear rain boots.

From the lesson Why did everyone use to wear a hat? (English A2.2)

Didn't use to and Did … use to?

Negatives and questions take did, and then used loses its d: Students didn't use to wear jeans, Did people use to wear jeans? Short answers need only did or didn't: Yes, I did, not Yes, I used.

used to → didn't use to → Did … use to?

Form	Make it like this	Example
positive	used to + verb	Workers used to wear jeans.
negative	didn't use to + verb	Students didn't use to wear jeans.
question	Did + who + use to + verb?	Did people use to wear jeans?
wh- question	What / Where + did + who + use to + verb?	What did you use to wear?
short answers	Yes, … did. / No, … didn't.	Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.

used or use? Look for did!

no did: used to

I used to sew.
Pockets used to rip.
Biscuit used to chew socks.

did / didn't: use to

I didn't use to sew.
Did pockets use to rip?
Biscuit didn't use to eat pockets.

From the lesson Jeans used to be work clothes (English A2.2)

Used to or the past simple?

Used to is for a habit or a state that is over: We used to deploy once a month. One event at one time, or a number of times, takes the past simple: In 2022, I moved to QA, I changed jobs three times.

What you talk about	Form	Example
a habit that is over	used to	We used to deploy once a month.
a state that is over (be, have, live, like)	used to	She used to be a teacher.
one event at one time (in 2022, two years ago)	past simple	In 2022, I moved to QA.
a number of times	past simple	I changed jobs three times.
now	present simple	Now I build Android apps.

From the lesson A resume that shows results (English for IT B1)

Be used to and get used to

Be used to means something feels normal (I'm used to reviewing AI suggestions), and get used to describes the change (I got used to it). To is a preposition here, so a noun or an -ing form follows, and be or get changes with the tense.

Three forms, three meanings

Form	Meaning	Example
used to + base form	a past habit or state that is over now	I used to write every test by hand.
be used to + -ing / noun	something is normal and familiar for you	I'm used to reviewing AI suggestions.
get used to + -ing / noun	something becomes familiar: a change	It took me a month to get used to the assistant.

Every tense: be and get change, used to doesn't

Time	be used to (a state)	get used to (a change)
now	I'm (not) used to it. / Are you used to it?	I'm getting used to it.
past	I wasn't used to it at first.	I got used to it in a month.
up to now	I've been used to long reviews since my first job.	I've gotten used to it.
future	You'll be used to it by Friday.	You'll get used to it.
after a modal or to	You should be used to it by now.	I can't get used to it. / It took me a week to get used to it.

From the lesson Your new pair programmer (English for IT B2)

Questions about used to

When do we use used to?

For past habits and states that have since changed. A habit: Biscuit used to chew Marco's hats. A state: Car roofs used to be higher. The sentence suggests things are different now, so it pairs well with a present-simple sentence about today: Now a lot of fans wear baseball caps.

Is it use to or used to?

Used to in positive sentences, use to after did. I used to work in support, but I didn't use to code and Did you use to test by hand? Did is always followed by the base form, as in Did you go?, and here the base form is use. Both spellings sound the same, so the difference only shows in writing.

Are there interactive used to exercises?

Yes, try the exercises above without signing up. They're samples from the lessons on this page, from used to at A2 to be used to and get used to at B2, and every lesson has more: gap-fills, drag-and-drop, tables to complete and quizzes. Students answer in their own edio.ai accounts, and the platform checks each answer automatically. A free trial opens the full used to lessons, and every other lesson in the library.

What's the difference between used to, be used to and get used to?

A finished habit, something familiar, and becoming familiar. I used to write every test by hand: that habit is over. I'm used to reviewing AI suggestions means it feels normal now, and It took me a month to get used to the assistant describes the change. After be used to and get used to comes a noun or an -ing form: I'm used to reviewing, not I'm used to review.

When should students use the past simple instead of used to?

For one event, a date or a number of times. Last night, our team won the game, I moved to San Francisco in 2022, I visited the museum twice. Used to is for what happened many times or was true for a long time: Men used to wear hats every day. That's why Last Sunday, our team used to win is wrong.

How do I teach used to to A2 students?

Start from a change students can picture. English A2.2 does this in lessons 17 and 18: first the hats people wore to old ballgames against today's caps (Men used to wear hats), then jeans, first made as work clothes, for negatives and questions (Did students use to wear jeans?). Each lesson sets used to against today and has a grammar scheme, drills and a speaking chapter.

What are good used to activities?

Then-and-now talk about real lives. Students compare childhood habits (I used to walk to school; now I take the bus), describe how their town or job has changed, or guess which classmate used to have an unusual hobby. For class talk, the lessons end with a chat and a speaking game like Open the box.

Can I say I use to for habits now?

No: used to has no present form. For a habit today, use the present simple, often with usually: I usually write the tests first. A sentence like I use to work in support is a misspelling of the past form: I used to work in support.

Can students do these lessons on their own, as homework?

Yes, with your review of the open tasks. The drills check every answer as students go, and any writing or speaking tasks come back to you. The same lessons also run live, one-to-one or with a group, with each student in sync with you in their own account.

More English grammar

Lessons for every grammar point, from the verb to be to reported speech. All grammar points

Used to: ESL lesson plans and exercises

Used to lesson plans and drills

Why did everyone use to wear a hat?

Jeans used to be work clothes

Used to: how things were back then

Can you practice a flight?

Would you live in a lighthouse?

A resume that shows results

Used to, be used to, get used to: settling in

Your new pair programmer